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Jacques Derrida : a biography

At the time of his death in 2004, Jacques Derrida was arguably the most influential and the most controversial thinker in contemporary philosophy. Deconstruction, the movement that he founded, has received as much criticism as admiration and provoked one of the most contentious philosophical debates of the twentieth century. Powell explores Derrida's early life in Algeria, his higher education in Paris and his development as a thinker, before examining the extraordinary influence of his published works, and the celebrity status that he achieved in both Europe and the United States.Read more...

Abstract:

At the time of his death in 2004, Jacques Derrida was arguably the most influential and the most controversial thinker in contemporary philosophy. This work offers a biographical overview of this important philosopher, drawing on Derrida's own accounts of his life as well as the narratives of friends and colleagues.Read more...

Reviews

Editorial reviews

Publisher Synopsis

"'In attempting an intellectual biography of Derrida [Powell] is doing something unique... He has a good grasp of the ideas circulating around deconstruction, and articulates them in a suitably reader-friendly manner without sacrificing any of their complexity or compromising their integrity.' Dr Karl Simms, Director of Studies, School of English, University of Liverpool"Read more...